


born to be brave

by tkreyesevandiaz



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Born to be Brave, Christopher's Dads, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Domestic Fluff, Family Feels, Family Fluff, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Gen, HSMTMTS spoilers?, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series - Freeform, Jamming out to the HSMTMTS soundtrack, Love Confessions, M/M, No Plot/Plotless, References to HSMTMTS, Slight Canon Divergence, Soft Eddie Diaz, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, because same, not completely a crossover but sort of?, slight ooc?, these two idiots and their son
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:07:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22657531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tkreyesevandiaz/pseuds/tkreyesevandiaz
Summary: It all started with a streaming service subscription.And then they stumbled upon High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Christopher Diaz, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Comments: 12
Kudos: 165





	born to be brave

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!! 
> 
> This was an idea I was playing with because I'm a huGE fan of HSMTMTS and so...this happened.
> 
> And then my fingers slipped.
> 
> A huge thank you to my best friend for beta'ing this for me!
> 
> I hope you enjoy this little fluffy fic in lieu of Valentine's day! <3

**Warning:** Spoilers for _High School Musical: The Musical: The Series_ below [they're not too big, but they're there]

_**I recommend listening to[Born to be Brave](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLfgIHe_vG4) while reading this. Original credit for the song goes to the lyricists, composers, musicians, singers, etc.** _

* * *

It all started with a streaming service subscription.

Buck had bought Disney Plus immediately, knowing that the three of them were about to go insane with all the animated movies on the platform. 

Then one streaming service became two. Now that movie nights were a regular thing in the Diaz household, Eddie sprung for Netflix so him and Buck could unwind together after Christopher went to bed.

Eddie wasn’t quite sure when Buck and him started using each others’ subscriptions, but it happened somewhere between their third and fourth movie night.

Three weeks of fifteen movie nights packed with Disney movies and one weekend-long Marvel marathon later, Buck and Christopher stumbled upon _High School Musical: The Musical: The Series._

After that, Eddie had to virtually pry the two of them away from the screen to do _anything_ , including eating. Though, he had to admit, seeing the iconic _High School Musical_ plot staged as a musical put on by high school theatre kids was amazing. All three of them were fans of the series, even though the plot was definitely not wholly meant for kids Christopher’s age. 

Buck had, however, looked as in-depth into the series as he could to find out what the ratings were, and had run the entire thing by Eddie before they started watching it.

It was little thoughtful things like that that made Eddie’s heart pound a little faster at seeing the younger man play with his son. Without even blinking, Buck risked spoiling the plot for himself to make sure Christopher could watch it, and made sure Eddie was okay with them watching it before starting it. It seemed like a small thing, but seeing how seriously Buck took what little shows he _did_ watch, it was pretty damn big in Eddie’s opinion.

Eddie didn’t have the words to tell Buck that he didn’t need to consult him; that he was just as much of a parent to Christopher as Eddie was, and that Eddie trusted him with every decision the younger man made involving Christopher. 

So they watched it.

The series didn’t take long to complete. One more weekend marathon later, and they were finished with it, stunned in silence by the splendour that had been the show. Now all three of them were eagerly waiting for the second season to air.

There were so many things that Christopher could pick up from the characters, because each of them could be related to, to some extent. There was Ashlyn's reluctance to show everyone her talent for songwriting, EJ learning why lying and preening about things never got you anywhere, Ricky and Big Red's pushing themselves out of their comfort zone (something which Chris had to do everyday) for the play, Gina's feelings of jealousy with not getting the main part, Carlos and Sebastian's learning to be true to themselves. Then there was also the face off between Miss Jenn and Mr. Mazzara, which showed how STEM subjects don't triumph the arts, but can go hand in hand.

There was also the fact that the theatre kids ended up making a family on their own, one not defined by blood.

Eddie always tried to teach Christopher that every interest he had was worth a shot, that it was important to be well-rounded and to just be who he was; with his cerebral palsy, it became more important to show him how to be confident in his skin, no matter what the odds were. In his fatherly opinion, the show was a jackpot.

The show seemed to have done the same thing for him, because Chris would periodically point to things and tell Buck, “Dad taught me that.” Buck would look over at Eddie with the softest smile on his face, his eyes filled with a quiet pride. Eddie wasn’t quite sure what the pride was for, but he’d take it anyway.

Of course, there were certain things in the show that had made Eddie tense, not wanting to trigger Christopher.

One was seeing Ricky’s parents separate, and the toll that it took on him. It wasn’t quite the same as Shannon; in fact, it wasn’t the same at all. But the separated parents were definitely a theme that could’ve brought back unpleasant memories for Chris, and Eddie didn’t want that for him.

As if he knew what Eddie was thinking, Buck had casually turned to set his feet in Eddie’s lap. The move hadn’t alerted Chris to where Eddie’s mind had taken him, but it grounded him all the same. Eddie pressed his gratitude and appreciation for the other man into the muscle of his legs and feet, catching Buck’s wide grin from the corner of his eye. Chris was still watching happily as the theatre kids played Carlos’ homemade game.

“Buck and Daddy, we have to make that too,” Christopher had declared, grinning eagerly at the board game. Eddie had laughed, grinning at his son who had taken up residence on Buck’s chest. 

“Whatever you want, buddy.”

* * *

Once the series was finished, they moved onto the behind the scenes extras, and got through those lightning quick. The songs were all stuck in their heads. Both Buck or Eddie would catch themselves humming the tune to “Stick to the Status Quo” around the station, and Chimney and Hen would look at both of them like they were insane.

Truth be told, Bobby was sick of them, because the soundtrack was now stuck in _everyone’s_ head. 

But _Eddie’s_ downfall was the actual sing-along version of the series.

He’d just come from a long shift, arms laden with a few groceries he’d forgotten to buy on the last trip to the store. Buck got off shift before he did, so he was the one to pick Chris up from school. Eddie had also taken the liberty of picking up pizza.

Christopher looked forward to the days where Buck could pick him up, because ever since he’d started working again, Buck wasn’t able to spend as much time with him. Eddie was more than happy to give them that time together, because it brought a glow to his son’s face, and if he was being honest with himself, he loved it when the three of them hung out together.

Eddie climbed the stairs to Buck’s apartment to hear the thumping beat of a very familiar song through the wood of the door. Knocking wouldn’t do anything against that noise level, so Eddie shifted his precious cargo to one hand and used his keys.

Nothing could’ve prepared him for the sight that awaited him inside.

The familiar lyrics of “Born to be Brave” reached his ears as Eddie set the bags and boxes down as quietly as he could. 

Not that the two rock stars in the living room would have been able to hear him anyway.

 _But it's the road  
_ _I stumbled on  
_ _That led me right to the place where I belong_

Christopher was perched on the coffee table, sans crutches but moving around happily all the same. On the coffee table, he was a little shorter than his grown counterpart. Buck was moving right along with Christopher, both of them singing into markers as if they were microphones and there was a whole audience screaming just for them. 

The sing-along version was playing on the TV behind Christopher, the scene where Kourtney and Nini throw it down behind the bowling alley. Buck had an arm hovering around the boy to keep him from falling off, even though he was a safe distance from all the edges. A wave of longing hit him as he noticed how careful Buck was, as lost in the moment as he was.

It was surprising how much he _yearned_ to come home to this every single day. It shouldn’t have been, but it was.

 _Keep flying higher  
_ _Fight like a fighter  
_ _Yeah, I am everything that I was meant to be_

 _A blazin' fire  
_ _That's getting brighter  
_ _Don't need nobody here that don't believe in me_

They were so horribly off-key, but Eddie couldn’t bring himself to move from where he was staring at them wide-eyed. As the first chorus approached, Buck stilled Chris as they started singing louder, missing beats because they were so busy laughing at the other. Christopher’s laugh rang out, pure and shrill as Buck did something super weird as he sang into the “microphone.”

 _'Cause I was born to be brave  
_ _I know who I am inside  
_ _And I won't apologize_

 _Made my mistakes  
_ _And they gave me wings to fly  
_ _To my castle in the sky_

 _Let my hair down and let it go  
_ _No more running, I run this show  
_ _Way up here, yeah, the view is gold_

Buck’s free hand was now holding onto Christopher’s as the two got dragged into the moment. It reminded Eddie of his days as a dancer; it was so easy to just lose yourself in the music. Christopher giggled as he held their arms as upwards as he could. Without missing a beat, Buck ducked under their arms and awkwardly twirled around, laughing as he did so. Even if Christopher’s additional height, Buck was still miles taller.

That’s what got him to break. Eddie started laughing loud enough to catch both boys’ attention, his skin suddenly three times too small for him. His heart swelled with joy as Buck and Christopher gave him matching beaming grins. Buck leaned down to pick up a stray marker and toss it to Eddie, the implication clear. 

_Born to be brave  
_ _Now I'm standing miles high  
_ _Like castles in the sky_

Eddie grinned and joined them just as the bridge started. The three of them jammed out to the next lyrics, moving smoothly as they did so.

 _Bosses and queens, stand up on your throne  
_ _Know who you are, this is your kingdom  
_ _Legends at heart, individuals  
_ _Go make your mark, be original_

 _'Cause I was born to be brave  
_ _I know who I am inside  
_ _And I won't apologize_

 _Made my mistakes  
_ _And they gave me wings to fly  
_ _To my castle in the sky_

He took a chance and dropped his marker microphone. Still smiling, he held his hand out to Buck, keeping one hand on Christopher. Without hesitating, Buck dropped his hand in Eddie’s, and let Eddie guide both him and Christopher into the proper twirl that he had been attempting.

 _Let my hair down and let it go  
_ _No more running, I run the show  
_ _Way up here, yeah, the view is gold  
_

_'Cause I was born to be brave_  
_Now I'm standing miles high  
Like castles in the sky_

_Like castles in the sky..._

Buck let out a laugh on a breath as he paused the screen, beaming at Christopher. “Look who decided to join our concert!” 

“It’s because we’re rock stars,” Christopher cheered, giving Buck a high-five. Both of them were breathing hard, skin flushed red with joy.

“Couldn’t let you two have all the fun without me,” Eddie chuckled, catching Buck’s attention.

Buck’s grin melted into a concerned look as he looked at Eddie. “Hey, Eds, are you okay?”

“What?” Eddie stared at him, completely confused, before he realized that his eyes felt unnaturally damp. “Oh, yeah. I was just…”

“Daddy cries when he’s really happy,” Christopher stage-whispered. Eddie rolled his eyes at his son, moving to place Christopher on the couch.

“I was not crying, thanks for that, Chris.” The kid would end up spilling all his secrets before Eddie said anything.

“Really happy, huh?” Buck smirked, but surprisingly not saying anything else.

* * *

The topic didn’t come back up until after the pizza was demolished, they’d unwittingly gotten through another movie, and Chris was knocked out on the sofa. Eddie didn’t particularly want to risk moving him, but they had to get home at some point. Before he could pick his kid up, Buck stopped him with a gentle hand.

"Let him sleep, you two can take the bed,” he offered, keeping his voice hushed.

“Are you sure?”

“Of course, you two are always welcome here, you know that.” His best friend sent him a ‘duh’ look before gesturing to Eddie to join him in the kitchen. “We have tomorrow off anyway.”

Buck slid a beer in his direction before turning towards the sink, which was now piled high with dishes.

“Sorry about the mess, Chris and I made lunch and I completely forgot about the dishes,” Buck said, running the water slowly. Eddie set the bottle down and joined him there, picking up a washcloth to dry them.

The two men worked in a comfortable silence for a while, only broken by the occasional clatter of metal and ceramic.

“So do you normally get emotional or did something else happen today?” Buck asked, looking up at him. Eddie let out a soft groan and let his head fall back.

“Christopher is spilling all my secrets,” he whined. Buck laughed as he passed Eddie another washed plate. “No, I don’t normally get this emotional. It’s just…”

He searched for the right words to use. “The kid’s been through a lot, you feel me? Neither of his parents were dependable people; first I bailed when he was younger, using money as an excuse to not deal with how overwhelming our shotgun wedding and then having a child was. Then his mom...first she left, then she came back, and then the accident took her from us.” He avoided eye contact with Buck as he swiped the washcloth over the ceramic, almost absentmindedly. 

“Today, when I walked in, Christopher’s face was the first thing I saw. You two were so off-key and if you’d sung any louder, you would’ve shattered all the windows but he looked so happy in the moment. And while he’s a complete champ with everything, this is the first time I’ve seen him look so on-top-of-the-world since his mom died.” 

It’d been a struggle for them. With Shannon dying, and the tsunami, then the lawsuit, and the nightmares, it wasn’t too often that Eddie got to see his son _so_ elated and excited about anything. Though, a big part of that was Buck. Anything to do with Buck had Chris vibrating in place with his excitement.

“You brought him back to me today, Evan,” Eddie spoke quietly. It was the first time he’d used Buck’s first name, and he could tell the other man was surprised by the quick intake of breath.

“Who said you’re not dependable? Eds, you run yourself into the ground to make sure Chris is provided for, that his CP doesn’t overwhelm him.” Buck kept his tone gentle as he turned the water off. “And I didn’t do anything. All the little man can talk about when we’re together is how awesome his dad is, and honestly, it’s my favourite thing to talk about. Because it’s true.”

Eddie chanced a glance at Buck, to find his blue eyes blazing with a need for Eddie to understand. “You didn’t make any mistake by enlisting again Eddie, and even if you feel like you did, you’ve since made up for it. That kid’s growing up to be an awesome human because of you, you try to raise him with everything in you. Christopher takes his cues and inspiration from you.” Buck hesitated to say something else, which drew Eddie’s attention to him.

“What?”

“I do too,” Buck admitted. Eddie’s brow furrowed in confusion. “I get a lot of inspiration from you too.”

The breath siphoned out of Eddie’s lungs in one whoosh at Buck's honesty. Evan Buckley was inspired by him?

As if sensing that Eddie didn’t believe him, Buck sighed. “Do you remember the day that I met your aunt in the hospital?”

“Yeah,” Eddie answered, not knowing where Buck was going with this. His best friend kept his expression as open as he could, so Eddie could read him. 

It was a talent of his Eddie envied.

“Pepa was telling me about how much work you put into giving Chris the most stable childhood you possibly could, even after his mother left. I remember standing there looking at the two of you, and immediately knowing that I needed the two of you in my life. You make me want to be a better man, Eddie.”

Eddie chuckled. “Funny, I was about to say the same about you.”

The two laughed quietly, just smiling at each other. The sounds of the city surrounded them, low sounds of cars whizzing past and faint conversations heard through the open window.

The words were right on the tip of his tongue, but before he could say anything, Buck interrupted him. “The song reminds me of Christopher.”

“Born to be Brave?”

“Yeah," Buck hummed. "Because he’s the bravest person I know, and he’s a fighter. The song just reminds me of him, every single time.” Eddie ran the lyrics in his head, realizing that Buck was right. There was a weird shame that came with not thinking of it first. There was also a strange feeling that came from hearing this twenty-eight year old being inspired by _his_ nine-year-old, a pride of sorts.

“You love my son like he’s your own,” he whispered, now absolutely sure that he wanted to give Buck those words he’d been thinking off. Buck looked down at his fingers before nodding, though Eddie wasn’t quite sure why he was hiding it from him.

“Yeah. Yeah, I really do.” 

There were probably a hundred other things Eddie could've said right then, but the only thing to leave his mouth was:

“I love you.”

There they were.

The words were out there, and Eddie strangely felt like he could _finally_ take an unrestricted breath.

Buck’s head shot up, eyes wide as his breathing quickened. Eddie snickered at his reaction. “I guess it’s my turn to be brave?”

Buck laughed at the poor reference, snapping out of his shock and moving himself into Eddie’s space. Strong fingers landed on his hips as the younger man used his weight to push Eddie further back into the counter. “Do you know how many times I’ve imagined you saying those three words to me?”

“Probably just as much as I’ve imagined _you_ saying them.” Eddie let his eyes settle on Buck’s mouth before looking back up, his intention clear. Those lips stretched into another smile, which seemed like a pretty clear invitation to him.

Eddie leaned up to press his adoration for the other man onto his mouth. He could feel Buck smiling into the kiss as the two languidly explored each other, fingers ghosting along fabric and pressing into hot skin. Before it could get too heated, Eddie pulled away, much to Buck’s complaints.

“Just for that, maybe I won’t say them for a while.”

“You don’t have to, it shows through those heart eyes.” He smirked as Buck’s jaw dropped open.

“I have heart eyes? You should’ve seen yourself when you walked through that door today,” he said indignantly, pulling away from Eddie to cross his arms over his chest.

“Hey, I’m not denying it. I love my boys, and that’s that,” Eddie shrugged, nudging Buck out of the way so he could finish putting away the last dish.

“Well lucky for you, Eddie Diaz, your boys love you too,” Buck laughed, catching Eddie’s arm to kiss him again. Eddie chuckled as he wrapped an arm around Buck’s waist.

“Perfect how that works.”

**Author's Note:**

> Leave me Kudos and Comments! 
> 
> Thank you all for reading my works, I appreciate all of you!
> 
> You can find me on Tumblr at [zeethebooknerd](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/zeethebooknerd) or on Twitter at [tkreyesevandiaz](https://twitter.com/tkreyesevandiaz).


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